The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an international financing institution that invests the world’s money to save lives, may suspend or terminate its funding to organisations in Nigeria due to massive fraud involving millions of dollars.
The Office of the Inspector General of Global Funds to Nigeria discovered the fraud in a recent audit of 15 grants amounting to US$474,519,260 disbursed between 2003 and 2009, for the purpose of saving lives in the country.
The Independent Corrupt Practice and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to investigate, prosecute and bring any erring official involved in the scam to book.
The funds were disbursed to the following beneficiaries in Nigeria: The Yakubu Gowon Centre for International Co-operation, the National Action Committee on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NACA), the Society for Family Health (SFH), the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), the Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN) and the CHAN-MEDIPHARM (MEDIPHARM).
Mike Sowe, head, Publicity Unit, ICPC, who confirmed the development, said the commission has concluded arrangements to bring erring officials to book using all available legal instruments, after which a system study and review will be conducted to forestall further breaches.